


"the walk could have been shorter, but..."

by pixierosedragon



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-01
Packaged: 2018-02-03 00:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1724909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixierosedragon/pseuds/pixierosedragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a drabble I did in response to a local coffee shop writing prompt. Feedback is always welcome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"the walk could have been shorter, but..."

Two young friends played along the sea shore, frolicking with childish abandon. Suddenly an emergency vehicle roared past them, kicking up sand as it sped along. Later they discovered that someone out diving had come up too fast and had made their body ill.

Two teenaged friends walked along a public garden path, chatting about their lives and admiring the beauty of the flowers and green growing things around them. Hearing a noise behind them, they turned, only to jump apart quickly as a jogging woman pushing a stroller came barreling between them. Shaking their heads, they continued along the path, talking of inconsequential things, until their way led onto a busy city street. As they were about to part ways, they noticed that an ambulance and police cars were converged on the opposite street corner, and realized that the bits of metal were once a baby stroller. With tears in their eyes they turned away, later learning that the jogging woman had tried to cross the street in too much of a hurry and the vehicle that hit them had nowhere to go. 

Two middle aged friends enjoyed the beauty of nature and how pleasing it is when man takes the time to nurture it in large botanical gardens. Their leisurely walk vacillated between discussing their lives with spouses, children, divorce, and both admitting that the friendship with the other somehow sustained them when all else failed. The years may not have been full of good cheer, but growing their friendship into what it was today was definitely worth the time and energy spent. Pausing by a lovely fountain, they sat to soak up the sunshine and the ease of company. A man with a step ladder rushed past, breaking the peaceful reprieve. Eventually they made to leave the garden, and were stopped by a policeman who wanted to know if they had seen a man with a ladder come past them, and if so, their general impression. After answering the questions, they were encouraged on their way, and gladly did so, later discovering that the man in a rush had not been watching where he was going and had run the metal ladder under an exposed electrical wire, causing an electrocution. The electrician called to fix the exposed wire was literally minutes behind him and had been the one to find the man. The policeman asking the questions was attempting to ascertain who was at fault, and based on theirs and others testimony, determined that the botanical garden was not at fault, neither the electrician, but the man in a hurry had been the cause of his own demise.

Two aged friends sat next to each other on a balcony, enjoying the morning sun and the smell of sand from the beach. Too tired and feeble to walk anymore, they contented themselves with chatting about their years, how they managed to get to this place, how, despite everything, they had been the one constant in each others lives throughout it all. How the years and their experiences had matured their friendship to this point, a shared condo on the very beach they had walked on as children so many years ago. They lapsed into silence, feeling that there were no more words, that they had said them all, and silently they grasped each others hand, as together they drifted into the next life. The walk could have been shorter, but, really, nowhere near as sweet.


End file.
